Improvement in sewing-machine for making shirt-bosoms



4 Sheeis-Sheet 1.

E. D. GI'RD.

Sewing. Machine for Making Shirt Bosoms.

Patented March 9, 1869.

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Patented March 9, 1869. a W

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Sewing Mac hi ne for Making Shirt Bosoms.

No. 87,559. r Patented.March9,1869.

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UNITE- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD D. GIRD, or CEDAR LAKE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINE MAKING SHIRT-BOSOMS.

To all whom 'it may coricern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. GIRD, of Cedar Lake, in the county ofHerkimer and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Machines for Plaiting, Quilting, Hemming, and MakingShirt-Bosoms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1is a side elevation of my improved 4 machine. Fig. 2 is a top or planview. Fig.

3 is a detachedview of the hemmer-plate, guide-slots, and spring-bar.Fig. 4 is an end elevation of oneof the presser-feet. Fig. 5 is asectionalelevation of the reel-rack and a sectional reel, showing alsothe device for securing the same to. the machine, the tensionspring, anend view of the hemmer-plate and spring-bar. Fig. 6 is an elevation ofthe sectional reel. Fig. 7 is a top or plan view of the presser-feet andthe guide or lifter for plaiting, by which the plait is lifted whilesewing,

and afterward allowed to fall and cover the seam sewed. Fig. Sis a topview of the final folder, and Fig. 9 is a side "iew of thesame.

Fig'glO is a top or plan View of the continuous prc s'ser-foot forquilting and. plain sewing.

v Fig. 11 is a bottom view of the machine. Fig.

12 is a view of the needle-holders, with rollerfeed for quilting. Fig.13 is an end view of the roller-feed, with spring for pressing the sameupon the work while passing through the machine; and Fig. 14is a topview of the same.

- Oorresponding'letters refer to correspond is attached. B representsthe bed-plate,which is secured to the side frames, A-A, bymeans of aslot formed therein, as shown at B 13 This bed-plate is secured inposition, and the frames are held together by means of the rods (30,upon which the top plate, D, rests.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 87,559, dated March9, 1869.

- From the upper edges of the frames A A .there rise two posts orguides, E E, as shown in Fig. 1, upon which the 'cross-head'F works,

and to which the needle-bar is attached. To d the top of these posts orguides, which are held firmly together by means of a lintel, G,

are secured two pieces or arms, bent in the proper form, for supportingthe spool-rack H,

the tension-bar 1, and the take-up J.

side of the machine, as shown at L L, Figs. 1,

2, and 11, where they are shown as attached to a crank-shaft, M, bymeans of an adjusting or set screw. This crank-shaft, which moves boththe needle-bar and shuttles, has two cranks formed in it, near where itis journaled to the frame, to which are to be connected two pitmen, theopposite ends of which are connected to the' shuttle-carriage. The powerfor giving'motion to the machine is to be applied to this shaft by meansof apulley placedthereon for'the reception of a belt, or in any othersuitable manner. v

The shuttle carriage N runs upon round guides or ways 0 O, which areparallel with the sides of the frame A, and are secured to the endsthereof by means of suitable boxes, in which they rest. Theshuttle-carriers are air tached to the carriage in any suitablemanner,so as to move with such carriage, they being guided by grooves or slotsformed in the bedplate, as shown at P P, Figs. 2 and 11. When thecrank-shaft is rotated, the cranks give a reciprocating motion to theshuttle-carriage, and at the same time the eccentrics on such shaftoperate the needle-bar.

The take-up J, Fig. 1, is operated by means of a pitman or lever, B,which is pivoted to the cross'head F. As the cross-head moves in avertical line the pitman gives motion to a p a rod or bar, which isplaced in a line parallel with the needle-bar, and is to have as manyholes formed in it as there are threads or nee dlcs in the needle-bar,such holes to correspond in their distances from each other with thedistance between the needles.

The tension-bar is arranged immediately above the take-up J, and isprovided with springs, which are to be operated by thumbscrews, for thepurpose of regulating the tension of the threads, such springs andscrewscorresponding in number with the number of needles in the needle-bar.Thus it will be seen that as the thread passes from the spool to theneedles its tension may be regulated to suit any kind of work which themachine is required to perform.

The spool-rack consists of a plate which is secured to the bent armsupon the tops of the posts E E, and which is provided with a number ofpins, corresponding with the number of needles. .These pins are soarranged that as the spools are placed thereon the thread will be leddirectly therefrom to the tension-bar, and from thence to the needles.

The feed-motion, as represented at S S in Fig. 1, consists of two flutedrollers, placed one above the other, and situated just in the rear ofthe needles, as clearly shown in the above-named figure. The object offluting these rollers is to give them a sufficient gripe or hold uponthe cloth to insure the proper movement of the same in its passage pastthe needles, the presser-foot, and through the folders.

The upper roller is held down by means of springs over it at each endthereof. These springs are represented in Fig. 1, and as secured to theupper edges of frame A.

A modification of this feed-motion is shown at Fig. 12 of the drawings,which is intended to be used in quilting and other kinds of plainsewing. This feeder consists of a rod or shaft, having placed upon it atthe side of each necdle a roller. This shaft, with its rollers, isturned or rotated by means of a connection with the pitman, through arod connected thereto, which rod acts upon an arm connected to aratchet-wheel, the wheel being acted upon by means of a dog secured tosuch arm.

The feed-motion heretofore described being operated in the same manner,it is believed that one description will answer for both.

This last-named arrangement of feed-rollers answers the double purposeof presser-foot and a feed-motion,it being held down by a spring at eachend. I

Having described the parts necessary for sewing, it will be seen thatthe thread in passing from the spool over the tension-bar and under thespring down through the take-up, and from thence into the eyelet on theback side of the cross-head to the needles, will be properly guided andcontrolled in its movements, and that if the main shaft is put in motionall of the above-recited parts will be put in motion also, and the clothwill be carried through the machine automatically, and any number ofseams will be sewed or stitched corresponding to the number of needlesin the needle-bar.

' The machine, as above described, being arranged for sewing, I will nowshow the changes necessary for doing the different kinds of work ofwhich it is capable;

To arrange the machine for plaitin g or making shirt-bosoms, it isnecessary to place the reel rack or support, as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, in the front end of the machine.

The cloth to be plaited is to he wound upon the reel U, Fig. 1, fromwhich one end is to be led to the gathering-rollers V V, and from thenceto the folders X, and then, through the final folder, (shown in Figs. 8and 9,) to the needles under the presser-feet A and between thefeed-rollers, by which its movements are regulated.

The reel is prevented from turning too easily by means oftension-springsat each end thereof, l as shown in Fig. 1.

The rollers V V consist of a series of truncated cones formed upon each,and having the outer edges of their larger portions slightly rounded, soas to facilitate the folding of the cloth as it passes through them, andthey are so arranged with reference to each other that the large portionof the cone upon one roller works within the cavity formed in thesmaller portion of the other roller.

This peculiar formation of said rollers contracts the cloth, orpartially folds it, preparatory to its entering the folder X, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. This last-named folder consists of two plates, placedparallel to each other,

and having attached to their inner surfaces wires or rods, which arebent and arranged as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the object ofwhichis to nearly complete the folding or plaitin g of the cloth whichwas commenced by the rollers V V. The upper plate of this folder isreduced in width at or near its ends, and is made to rest and move inthe notched and upturned ends of the lower plate, as a consequence ofwhich the two plates, with their plaiting-wires, are made adjustable, sothat plaits of any desired width can be laid with one plaiter. Thisplaiter maybe used with or without the final folder, B presently to bedescribed, as circumstances require.

For adjusting these plates thumb screws are provided, as shown clearlyin Figs. 1 and 2.

What I have termed the final folder B, or the one situated nearest theneedles, consists of two parallel strips of metal, having upon theirinterior surfaces pieces of thin metal secured, as clearly shown inFigs. 8 and 9, they being so bent as to overlap each other, and

thus complete the plaiting of the cloth, and press the folds of suchplaits into close contact previous to their passing to the presser feetand to the needles.

The cloth to be placed upon the reel for the purpose of being convertedinto shirt-bosoms may be in width equal to what is required for a fullbosom; or it may be in two strips, so as to form the sides of the bosomin separate parts, the necessary change being made in the plaitingdevice for forming the dividing-line between the two parts.

The presser-feet A used for plaiting, as

shown in Fig. 7 consist of a number of projections from a bar of metal,which bar is placed upon pins or studs working vertically through thetop plate of the machine, their lower ends passing through and beingsecured to curved springs, which are attached to the frame of themachine.

A cam-rod, having a head, Y, extends across the machine, which, whenturned, presses upon the curved surfaces of the springs and elevates thepressers.

The presser feet above alluded to have formed upon one side of thatportion of them through which the needles pass curved projections A asshown in Fig. 7, which are for while the other is being sewed, so thatwhen it is finished the edge of one will lap over the other. This devicecan be attached to and operated in conjunction with the presser-foot, orit may be made entirely separate therefrom,

' as desired, by attaching the partswhich lift the plait to a rodrunning on the presser-feet, said rod being provided with a thumb-screw,

for placing it under the control of the operator.

To arrange the machine for hemming, the devices for plaitiug (describedabove) are removed, and the reel-rack T (shown at Fig.

5,) hemmer-plate T having guide-slots t and being rendered necessarybythe fact that the plaiting reduces the width to such an extent as torender such an arrangement necessary in order to bring into requisitionall the needles, and to make available the full width of the machine.

' The hemmers T last referred to, are secured to a plate of metal of}sufficient length to secure and hold as many as" may be necessary to hemthe desired number of strips at one operation.

This'hemmer-plate is provided at its ends with holes for the receptionof the screws which secure it to the upper plate of the machine. It isalso provided upon its rear edge with two flanges, one of which may beturned up upon its edge, andthe other maybe secured thereto in anysuitable manner. These flanges are cut away at the proper points it infront of the hemmer, for the purpose of forming guides for the strips ofcloth to be hemmed. To each the purpose of raising the edge of one plaitend of this plate there is to be attached one end of a spring, 13,formed by being bent into a circle, near the point of its attachment tothe plate, while the portion which is between such rings extends forwardfor a distance sufbefore they enter the hemmers, in order that suchstrips maybe kept from wrinkling as they enter said hemmers.

I have described and shown the needle-bar as composed of a single pieceof metal, and the needles as being fixed in their positions in that barbut it will be apparent that, by constructing the bar which holds theneedles in position separate from the cross -head and properly arrangingit, the'needles may be varied in their positions, so as to stitch plaitsof different widths or to hem strips of different widths at the sametime, the only changes required in. the other parts of the machinerybeing to so arrange the carriage which carries the shuttles as to permitof their being changed to correspond with the position of the needles;and, in addition to this, to arrange the presser-feet to correspond withthe other changes, which may be done by changin g such feet, or the barsupon which they are formed, or by making them adjustablejupon such bars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The gathering-rollers V V, when constructed substantially as shownand described.

2. The adjustable folder X, constructed substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. The combination and arrangement'of the gathering-rollers V V and thefolder X, when constructed substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the reel u, gatheringrollers V V, folder X, finalfolder, and feedrollers S S, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination of the presser-feet and fold-lifters, substantiallyas shown and described.

6. The arrangement of the levers, pins, springs, and cam-shaft forraising and lowering the presser-feet, substantially as shown anddescribed.

7. The combination of the slotted hemmerplate and hemmers, the curvedsupports T and the reel W, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD D. GIRD.

Witnesses:

D. P. HOLLOWAY, A. BUPPER

